Liberal Churches Have Gone to the Dogs?

What happens when churches embraces a liberal theology? (Liberal theology is a theology which is characterized by "the movement away from traditional orthodoxy often in an attempt to harmonize biblical teachings with science, humanism, or other secular fields." (CARM)

It's a question which many theologians and Christians already know the answer. Once you remove the essential "biblical doctrines such as the Trinity, the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, His resurrection, and salvation by grace" you end up with a church which more closely remembles a Kiwanis club than the body of Christ.

They still have regular meetings; they do good things for their local communities; and often they give their members some sense of a purpose larger than themselves. However, they don't proclaim the bible as being the eternal; transformational; and living word of God. Additionally, they often take the road of compromise on hot topic moral issues such as a abortion; homosexuality; and gender issues (especially in regards to church leadership).

What results is a muddled and confusing view of Christianity and God.

As a result, we should not be surprised by news articles telling us about a church in Los Angeles which has started to offer worship services for dogs in order to boost church attendance.

AP: Gone to the Dogs: LA church starts pet service

I guess when you throw Matthew 28:19 out the window you can justify all manners of things to grow your church attendance.

After all, surely Jesus didn't literally mean that we should go to every tribe, every nation, and to every people group to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to disciple and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit... I'm being facetious if you couldn't read my tone.

Albert Mohler has a good commentary on this trend among liberal churches which I'd recommend you read if you are intrigued.

As for me, I think the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the oldest love story ever written is enough to draw people into the church.

A Christmas Miracle: Happy Birthday

For all of you that know me...

I wasn't born on this day, but I attribute this day to the most significant event in my life.

I'm not sure why I always think of the date as December 20th, but it's probably just fried neurons that keep me from remembering when the actual date was (I had to check and it was December 12th, 2000).

So what happened on this date or around it some eight years ago?

I was reborn.

Bear with me and finish reading before you rush to judgement.

You could call it an epiphany if you'd like, but it was much more than that. Truly, such a divine experience cannot be fully expressed if you've never experienced it.

I'll paint the picture a bit for you to set the framework.

I always want to say that it happened on a Friday or something, even though evidence tells me it was a Tuesday in December. Perhaps, it was the lifestyle I was living. Every day was like a weekend to me. I had just dropped off a friend. I use the term loosely because, at that time in my life, I had many friends that were more like partners in crime than what one would call a friend.

Anyhow, I had just dropped of my friend and made that right turn to head back home. Little did I know, that the car that turned left behind me was one of our local police officers. He did his job, pulling me over for my broken turn signal, and I suspect would've let me off with a minor citation or warning if things had been different. I remember vividly the song playing on the radio, Limp Bizkit's Nookie--which I still abhor to this day, as I turned it down and silently cursed my circumstances as I pulled my car over to the shoulder .

That lingering fear of the law catching up with me became a self-fulfilling prophecy that day.

In fact, I had a prior arrest only 6 months ago. As my stash was taken as evidence and I was placed in the back of the cruiser (in handcuffs of course), I remember the officer saying something that while not very profound had a lasting impact. "You don't need this..."

He was right. That day my arresting officer was the voice of reason and to a smaller extent the voice of God.

Some of that whole day fades away into a foggy mess, even though I was what I'd call sober when I was pulled over, but a few things I remember clearly.

One thing I cannot forget was the look of utter dismay and disappointment on my mother's face when the officer dropped me off at home after being processed and released. In fact, I don't think a word was even exchanged between my mother and I that night.

One of the other things I remember lucidly was the brokenness in my spirit. I can't really describe it except that it's like your innermost being had just been shattered. I saw my life and what a mess I had made of it, and knew in my spirit that I was powerless to fix it.

I did the only thing I could think of... I cried out to God for a help, for direction, and then opened up my bible seemingly at random. When I opened up to Romans 13 and started reading, the words cut deep into my soul.

It's an amazing thing to know that the Almighty Creator of the Universe listens intently to prayers such as mine in my time of need.

God, I'm sorry. I've been such a dick. I've disobeyed you, please forgive me. Lord, help...

And almost as soon those words escaped my lips in barely recognizable sobs and mutterings, it felt like a great weight had been lifted from me. At that point, I knew that things were going to be alright.

Now, I should preface all of this by adding that after that revelation everything was NOT fine and dandy. In fact, I still had a trial; court mandated drug rehab counseling; traffic safety classes; probation; and then I still had a whole slew of friends that would think that I'd gone mad when I recounted my story. After that prayer, God didn't fix all of my problems, but He did forgive me.

In fact, some things were completely different immediately after I said that prayer, but others took some time.

To my shame, I remember thinking how cool it would be to celebrate Jesus' birth with a bowl of the finest ganja as a new Christian...as if the aroma of that piney sweet bud and my intoxication would waft up into heaven as a sweet aroma. In time, God changed my attitude about that as well.

I began to understand how much I was missing out on. I had sheltered myself from reality every time I lit a joint. Every time I took a hit from the bong, I drove a wedge between God and I, and soon enough God changed my heart and I didn't want it anymore.

My story's not over, in fact, it's just the beginning of my story. It's the story of my Christmas Miracle. It was the year, God turned this Sinner into a Saint.

Sorry. I know this was a bit long, but I couldn't tell the story as fully as I have without using as many words.

I hope you believe in Christmas Miracles.

Leave a comment, if you would.

Church Discipline, Is it National News?

The third to last story on the bottom of Matt Drudge's news page contained this story, "Woman Says Church Threatening To Make Sins Public..."

I have to say my gut reaction was, "WHAT?" However, after my gut reaction subsided, I remembered something very important. This isn't news, and it certainly isn't national news. Churches throughout our country (and throughout the world) do this all the time.

Now if you attend a Catholic church or ever have attended a Catholic church, you may cry afowl at this news story.

However, the Protestant church takes a much more literal approach to the idea of church discipline and more closely follows what is written in the Gospel of Mathew regarding discipline.

The controversy erupts because the woman feels that if she leaves the church voluntarily the church will not have to exercise discipline. There is nothing in Mathew 18:15-20 that seems to support that notion.

I don't place any blame on the church after all they're just doing what they always do, protect and grow the Christians that worship and fellowship there.

So let me ask you, is a news story about an unrepentant Christian and the church exercising discipline a news worthy story?

The news story has this to say:

A divorced Jacksonville woman said her former church has threatened to "go public with her sins" and tell the congregation about her sexual relationship with her new boyfriend. . .

"I am a Christian, and that will never change. My relationship with Jesus has to do with me and Jesus, and he knows my heart," Hancock said. . . .

Where do we have a right to not feel ashamed for what we've done? It's even more appropriate in the Church.

I should hope that my church and my family care enough about me that they'll risk making me feel uncomfortable because they feel something in my life needs to be brought out into the light.

Sin, like a wicked fungus, thrives in darkness. Don't believe me? Ask an addict whether having the secret of his addiction helped him get clean or kept him from getting clean.

"The greatest judgment God can give and inflect upon us is for us to have our way (Jer. 17:9-11)"

A good friend of mine always said, Better your sin shame you than damn you.

The point is obvious. It's better that you be ashamed of your sin and change your ways then start down a slippery slope that will wreck havoc on your soul.

Finally, let us remember Rebecca in Jacksonville and pray for God to bring about that sorrow which leads to repentance.